Get a Clear Idea of Your Project

Have you been to a writers group, workshop or convention and heard other writers try tell about their Work In Progress? Many fumble a bit, or go on for several sentences about where the concept started, and then laugh with a shoulder shrug.

Although these responses can be caused by a writer not wanting to talk about a WIP (I’ve know several who are rather secretive on this score), most often, they occur when writers don’t really having a true handle on their projects.
Here are a few helpful tasks that could prevent that, even if you don’t want to share details of your work. When you start a new writing project:

• Write a 250-word (one paragraph) overview of your book. This should describe the main thrust of the story and, in fiction, a bit about your protagonist. Remember, every book is telling a story--even nonfiction.
• Write a "long line" about your book, using no more than twenty-five words. Imagine you're getting on an elevator, the editor you want to impress is getting off and she says, "What's your book about?" Get it said before the elevator door closes.
• Determine the audiences for your book. Is it for active children, university women, retired pilots, urban or rural? Target at least three. Once you have those three target audiences, write keywords and a sentence that will tell each group about your book.

By completing these tasks, you will have a clearer direction toward a well-constructed finished product. Keep the information your project folder for reference to see if you are presenting what you intended. The focus of the story might change, and you can adjust the paragraph and long line as needed. Doing this will create a more focused writing, and these items are also good to have if you approach an editor or agent. They will also keep you from being the stammering writer at a workshop.